Battle police

The battle police (Italian: polizia di battaglia) were a unit of carabineri used by the Kingdom of Italy to execute officers in the Italian Army that they accused of being cowards or deserters. They were known for their killing of many officers after the 1917 Battle of Caporetto in World War I.

History
In 1917, the battle police carabineri were sent to the banks of the Tagliamento River to inspect the retreated Italian Army troops who had just lost the Battle of Caporetto against the Imperial German Army in World War I. The battle police executed a Lieutenant-Colonel after questioning him, and they made it a point to execute officers while questioning other ones. Anyone from the rank of Colonel to Private could be killed by the police if they were accused of being separated from their comrades, desertion, cowardice, or being German agitators, and every person that they questioned was shot.